My mother's holiday food was always world class and from the time I was very young I can remember her perfect matzo balls swimming in a bowl of the clear, delicious chicken soup that perfumed the house as it cooked. My mother was quite a package. She was small in stature but had a big, beautiful singing voice that should have been on the professional stage. It was always my little mommy who was asked to sing the Star Spangled Banner at events, who led the family in song, and who loved to perform in shows when we had a place in the country. There she was a true star. Not only did she sing, but she helped to write the shows and always had the leading role. I remember having to eat dinner early so she could run to the social hall (where they had a fabulous, complete, almost professional stage set-up) to rehearse. Later, when I went to sleep-away camp, I was always back in time to see Mommy perform in the Labor Day Show...
My mother and Aunt Ethel shared cooking for the holidays. Both outsanding cooks, they toiled for days preparing chickens, brisket, soup, matzo balls, tzimmis and apple cake. Aunt Ethel usually made gefilte fish, too...never my favorite dish, I sadly hadn't bothered to learn from her how to make it! It has taken me years to figure out amounts of ingredients in their recipes so that I could pass them on to my children and friends...not easy changing "a handful of this" into cups and a "shpritz" of that into ounces! However, over the years I have perservered and I now can set forth a holiday dinner reminiscent of the ones I remember as a child... when we all gathered around the table, my parents, sister, and aunts...where my great-aunt Vera brought home-made wine and her fabulous baked goodies...and my father always said, "These knaidles(matzo balls) are the best you ever made!" I used to love eating the challah with raisins ( raisin challah is reserved for holidays) and dipping it into some delicious, amber honey. Everything sweet, for a sweet New Year to come. So, as I prepare to cook this year's holiday meal for my family, I remember that dear, wonderful, talented, loving, precious woman who I was so very, very blessed to call, "Mommy"...
Marcy's Chicken Soup
1 fryer chicken well rinsed and cleaned
1 pkg. wings
any giblets you have saved (I save all giblets and backs and necks for soup!)
1 bunch curly parsley tear )stems
1 bunch dill
1 large parsnip cut in half
1 turnip, cut in half
2 leeks, cleaned and white part only
1 onion, whole
3 stalks of celery, preferably with leaves, cut in 1/3's
3 carrots cut in little rounds
salt
pepper
1-place all ingredients in a large stock pot and fill with water to about 3 inches from top.
2-add salt and pepper to taste...you will need to add salt at the end of cooking, again
3- bring to boil then reduce heat and cook on med/low flame for about 1 hour or more...you can remove white scum that forms on top for a clearer soup.
4- Let cool and store in large containers in refrigerator. Fat will rise to top when chilled...save for matzo balls.
This can keep in the refrigerator for a week or more.
Marcy's Matzo Balls
(For about 24-28 matzo balls)
8 large eggs...separated
8 tbsp. fat skimmed from top of chilled soup ( *if there is not enough fat, add some vegetable oil in same amount)
8 tbsp. club soda
2 cups matzo meal
4 tsp. salt
2- Beat egg whites until they form peaks
3-In another large bowl,mix yolks, club soda, fat and then add matzo meal and salt...mix with a fork, then fold in whipped egg whites
4- Refrigerate for 1 hour
5- In a large stock pot put up about 7 quarts of water to boil
6- After 1 hour remove batter from from fridge and form balls about the size of a handballs
8- They will sink and then pop up to the top...cook on medium for about 45 minutes to 1 hour...remove and drain... let cool. They can be frozen and used as needed
Marcy's Most Spectacular Brisket (With a little tweaking by yours truly) 
1 med onion, rough chop
4-5 leaves of iceberg lettuce
4 carrots cut in 1/4's
1/3 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
1/2 cup good red wine
1 cup beef stock (some in reserve)
2 sprigs rosemary
3-4 sprigs thyme
6 leaves basil...just tear it in
salt...pepper...garlic powder...paprika
1-Season well both sides of the brisket with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika...then sear both sides under the broiler until brown
2- While meat is searing, spray a covered roasting pan with Pam and line bottom with lettuce leaves
3- Placed seared meat on lettuce and place chopped onions and tomato sauce or ketchup on top of meat and put the carrots around the sides.
4- Pour in the cup of beef broth (put some broth in reserve in case it cooks out)
5- Add wine and throw in herbs
6- Cover tightly with foil and then put pot cover on. Cook ON TOP OF THE STOVE for 1 hour on medium-low to low. You may need 2 burners for a large roasting pan...make sure the flames match.
Cook for 1 hour, then turn meat over and re-cover and cook for another hour...add more stock and/or wine if liquid cooks out ...you will need the liquid for gravy. You may have to turn once more and cook an additional time until meat feels tender when a carving fork is inserted...
7-Remove from liquid, and let sit about 1/2 hour...then slice. You can then wrap in foil and store if you wish.
8- ThGravy: **If you have a great deal of liquid in the pot and it is thin you can reduce it by cooking it down over medium heat ...it will thicken as it reduces
Then...
Place a strainer over a bowl and pour the liquid and cooked vegetables into the strainer
With a wooden spoon mash the vegetables through the strainer (use the spoon to scrape the strained veggies from the strainer).
When you have strained as much of the veggies as possible thru the strainer into the liquid, stir and cover and refrigerate. When gravy is chilled, a layer of fat will rise to the top...just lift it off and discard it.
To serve, place meat in a baking dish and cover with gravy, heat in oven at 350 degrees until gravy starts to simmer....
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